Wired
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved Apple’s motion yesterday and dismissed Jay Freeman’s lawsuit against the company.
Jay Freeman is the creator of the well-known jailbreak store Cydia, which is an alternative to the App Store, which is suitable for iPhones and iPads that have been “jailbroken” to gain access to the root file system. However, although Apple’s motion was approved, the judge allowed Freeman to amend the complaint. If Freeman exercises this option, he will submit a revised complaint within the January 19th deadline.
Freeman sued Apple at the end of 2020, claiming that the company had an illegal monopoly on the distribution of iOS applications because the App Store is the only authorized market where users can download applications on iPhone and iPad. He also said that Apple “always tried to kill other app stores” such as Cydia.
Cydia was launched in early 2008, a few months before the launch of the App Store. This application allows jailbroken iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch users to install applications outside of the App Store, as well as install gadgets and themes that change the appearance and functionality of iOS. For example, long before Apple launched the Control Center on the iPhone, there was a small tool called SBSettings on Cydia that provided similar functions.
According to Freeman, Cydia is the “first comprehensive solution” to extend the functionality of the iPhone and is “an app store earlier than the App Store.”
An Apple spokesperson previously stated that the company would review the lawsuit, but denied that Apple is a monopolist in view of the competition that Apple faces from Android. Apple has repeatedly mentioned the privacy and security advantages of the App Store, claiming that third-party app stores may expose users to fraud and malware.
According to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, if Freeman files an amended complaint, Apple can respond before February 2.